There is an element of truth to that, in that most could be a bit more productive by changing their cognitive focus.

However, it is also an exemplar of scientific ignorance. First, because it seems to encourage a "Whiggish" view of the history of science, where revolutions are generated by the work of a singular genius. Second, even if we accept that misleading view on the way science works and has worked, the people highlighted are those who hold sway in popular science, not necessarily those who have made the biggest contributions to science. This is most obviously the case for Sagan and deGrasse Tyson.